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First National Bank of EddyFirst National Bank of Eddy · Photo: MRobison · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Carlsbad

How is Carlsbad run?

Carlsbad’s city government spent $57.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $1,803 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($8.4 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in New Mexico.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2023
$57.5M
year to June 30, 2023
Per resident, 2023
$1,803
2022 was an estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
$28.4M
end of FY2023, reported
City staff, 2025
451
full-time · 25 part-time · March payroll $3.7M · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$1,066
0.53% of home value · NM 0.70%

What stands out about how Carlsbad is run

Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.

Agendas posted online6 upcoming meetings posted, with agendas.Runs its own water & sewer21% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2023).Split between districts2 State House districts cover Carlsbad; your street decides yours.Its own police and fire104 sworn officers and 68 full-time firefighters on the payroll.
★ What stands out · Meetings

6 upcoming meetings at town hall

From Carlsbad’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.

Recent meetings

  • Nov2
    Planning & Zoning CommissionMonday · 5:00 pm · Janell Whitlock - Council ChambersPlanning & Zoning Commission MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Nov2
    Carlsbad Community Volunteer Network Advisory BoardMonday · 12:30 pm · San Jose Senior CenterCarlsbad Community Volunteer Network Advisory Board MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct27
    City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · Janell Whitlock - Council ChambersCity Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct23
    Budget CommitteeFriday · 3:30 pm · City Hall - Planning RoomBudget Committee MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct23
    Disabilities Advisory BoardFriday · 10:30 am · 114 S. HalaguenoSpecial Disabilities Advisory Board MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Go in person

Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.

Agenda portal ↗
Your share of the 2023 budget

About $1,803 per resident a year, or $4.94 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 28%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 36%Fees & charges 24%From the state 22%From other local governments 11%Sales taxes 3%From the federal government 2%Interest, fines & other 2%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $17.8 million; interest on debt $1.1 million. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $85.8 million.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Carlsbad yet

The fair comparison uses 2022, the last year the Census Bureau counted every government (later years are a sample), and Carlsbad’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate (it reported none of its 2022 dollars). It reported 2023 only (2022 and 2024 are estimates), so there is no trend yet either. The next full count is 2027.

How Town Hall compares budgets →
City staff
451

full-time in March 2025, up from 418 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,066 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.53% of the home’s value, vs 0.70% across New Mexico.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

La Huerta$1,897
New Mexico$1,731
Carlsbad$1,066
Happy Valley$423
$1,066
typical bill a year
0.53%
effective rate
$200,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Carlsbad’s rate.

Can I afford it? →

The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Tax bills are one input to Carlsbad’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Carlsbad →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Carlsbad

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See cityofcarlsbadnm.com for Carlsbad’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Carlsbad yet.cityofcarlsbadnm.com ↗
Who works for Carlsbad

One full-time city employee for every 71 residents

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (31,888).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025

Police104 + 1 pt
Fire68
Parks & libraries47 + 20 pt
Roads & transportation53
Administration & buildings51 + 3 pt
Water & other utilities49
Sewer & trash40
Courts, inspections & corrections7 + 1 pt
Other32
451
full-time
25
part-time
$3.7M
payroll for March 2025
$44.6M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$97,400
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
104
sworn police officers
68
full-time firefighters
Estimates.Carlsbad didn’t report its staff figures; these are the Census Bureau’s estimates, so they aren’t compared with other towns.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Carlsbad Municipal Schools

Carlsbad’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Carlsbad →
$16,025
per pupil · NM $17,681
7,343
students
$43.1 million
long-term debt

Of the $16,025 per pupil, $8,998 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 59%State 34%Federal 7%

New Mexico districts overall: 17% local, 64% state, 20% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Carlsbad’s votes are counted by county

New Mexico reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Carlsbad alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Eddy County’s results.

President · Eddy County’s results23,189 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican78.2%18,141 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat21.7%5,025 votes

Others: 0.1% (23 votes).

Most votes in Eddy County: Donald J Trump

New Mexico: Harris 51.9%, Trump 45.9%

The county’s page

100% of Carlsbad lies in Eddy County. Every 2024 race in Eddy County is on the county’s page.

Eddy County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.

Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.

Who represents Carlsbad

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Carlsbad.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: cityofcarlsbadnm.com ↗
  2. 2
    New Mexico HouseCarlsbad is split between 2 districts
    Jimmy MasonCathrynn Brown
  3. 3
    New Mexico SenateState senator
    Jim TownsendDavid GallegosLarry Scott
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Michelle Lujan Grisham
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Gabe Vasquez
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New Mexico
    Martin HeinrichBen Ray Luján
Find your state legislators by address ↗

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Carlsbad compares with the towns next door

Carlsbad’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate, so it isn’t placed among them. None of its neighbors reported 2022 figures. Tap a town to see its page.

La Huerta: unincorporated, no town budgetLivingston Wheeler: unincorporated, no town budgetHappy Valley: unincorporated, no town budgetLa HuertaLivingston WheelerHappy ValleyCarlsbad
Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Carlsbadestimate$1,066

Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).

Reach Carlsbad’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →
Official websitecityofcarlsbadnm.com ↗

Questions about Carlsbad’s government

How much does Carlsbad spend per resident?

About $1,803 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau.

What is the property tax rate in Carlsbad?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,066 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.53% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across New Mexico. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofcarlsbadnm.com.

Who runs Carlsbad’s government?

See cityofcarlsbadnm.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Carlsbad yet.

How did Carlsbad vote in 2024?

New Mexico counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Carlsbad alone. Eddy County, where 100% of Carlsbad lies, voted Trump 78.2%, Harris 21.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Carlsbad?

451 full-time and 25 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $3.7M (about $44.6M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Carlsbad in the state legislature?

Carlsbad is split among 2 State House districts and 3 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The New Mexico Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

When is the next public meeting in Carlsbad?

The next posted meeting is Lodgers' Tax Advisory Board on Tuesday, November 3, at 7:30 am in City Hall - Planning Room, from the city’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about Carlsbad’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →